


Running a path straight to your heart

by joyfulwriting



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, cute stuff tho, sort of a coffee shop AU, that’s like the half of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-07-15 07:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16058471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joyfulwriting/pseuds/joyfulwriting
Summary: Ina thought it might’ve been a coincidence when she saw the same guy at the coffee place near her house as she did on her run, but didn’t think much of it.Or, three times where Ina thought seeing James was just a fluke, and then one time she thought maybe it wasn’t.





	1. is your heart pounding from your run or from him?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alcego](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alcego/gifts).



> For Ally, thank u for letting me write this, I look forward to where the rest of the story goes!

Jogging was a pastime that Ina Leifsdottir quite enjoyed, even if she didn’t get to do it very often. 

She didn’t run in her neighborhood, or do laps around the little shopping complex near her place, instead, she ran down a quiet little trail in the woods where she could actually hear herself think, and not the sounds of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. While jogging the trail, she could only hear the sounds of her feet rhythmically hitting the ground, and the occasional bird call. It was her happy place, and whenever she had the time, she’d go jogging there. Summer was the ideal time, and when it got colder she typically opted to just exercise in her house, usually by stretching or weight lifting. 

Today was one of those nice days though, one of the last days of summer before it really started cooling off and she’d have to resort to getting her workouts done indoors. There was only a slight breeze, and she’d already worked up a bit of a sweat. Ina preferred to jog without any music, the sounds of nature all around her were much prettier in her opinion, and she’d rather be able to hear what’s going on around her in case something were to happen. Nothing ever did happen, at least, not before today. 

Ina had just finished off her first mile and was starting her second mile when she heard a pair of footsteps behind her. She was tempted to turn around, but it turned out she didn’t need to, because the person who was behind her breezed past her and continued on his way. He had bumped her shoulder on accident, and he turned around to wave apologetically at her. Ina took that opportunity to observe him as she waved back, slowing down slightly.

He had brown hair, with a few stray locks that were stuck to his forehead due to him sweating up a storm. He had dark brown eyes, and a strong jawline, like it could cut diamonds. He had a very handsome face, and while Ina tried not to, she couldn’t help but notice his body, his chest and his biceps, calves and thighs, she could say with absolute certainty that he liked to keep himself in shape. She just wonders why she’d never seen him there before. 

She hadn’t realized it, but she had almost slowed to a complete stop, having been too busy admiring that handsome stranger. She actually did stop, just to compose herself before continuing on with her own run. Why did she care? Probably because she’d never seen anyone else on this trail before other than herself, and it’d probably be the last, so again, why did she care?

Not even Ina knew really. 

***

[2:35] I don’t want to talk about it Nadia, I don’t even know why I told you 

[2:35] because I’m your best friend that’s why! And you saw a cute dude on the trail!  
[2:36] and as best friend code states, you’re required and entitled to tell me about boys 

Ina sighed softly as she opened the door to the local coffee place near her apartment, a little place nestled in between the place where she bought her candles, and a dollar store. The baristas, Allura, Romelle, and Katie, well, she was a regular so she knew all three of them really well. She slipped her phone in her pocket as she walked up to the counter. “Hi Allura.”

Allura smiled brightly at her, already signaling to Romelle to get her her usual drink. “Hey Ina! Did you go out today? I wish I could be outside, but no, here I am, inside working.” She sighed dramatically, giggling after a moment. 

“I actually did go out, I went for a run.” She dug our her wallet and paid for her drink while she waited, turning and looking at the patrons occupying the place today. Mostly college kids, a few adults, and—

Wait, was that..?

Oh yes it was, it was that guy from her run this morning. He was sitting at a booth, a coffee cup in front of him, along with a book. The best part? He was wearing glasses, and somehow they made him even more handsome than he already was. In fact, Ina was too busy discreetly staring at the handsome stranger, she didn’t hear Allura calling her name. Unfortunately, Allura had caught onto what she was looking at, or more like who she was looking at. She grinned and poked her side. “So, who’s the hottie over there you can’t keep your eyes off of?”

Ina yelped and turned around, only to see that Romelle and Katie were leaning in to get in on the information. She groaned and took her drink from Katie, a vanilla bean latte, who was wiggling her eyebrows at her. They were just as bad as Nadia. “I don’t know his name, he bumped into me this morning on my run, that’s all.”

“Oh, I served him! He really is cute no?” Romelle giggled and pretended to swoon. “With those dreamy brown eyes you can swim in, I’d love to be his girlfriend.”

Ina rolled her eyes and covered her face as her friends teased her, waving as she walked over to get a straw. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Tell us if you see him again!” Katie called, snickering softly.

She sighed and grabbed a napkin and reached out to grab a straw when her hand bumped into someone else’s. She looked over to apologize to whoever it was, when she realized that she had bumped hands with the guy she’d seen on her run. Of course she did. “Oh, sorry, you go ahead..”

“No no, you please.” He chuckled, and wow he had a pretty laugh. “Oh, I saw you this morning right? On the Wilson Trail.”

Ina nodded, grabbing a straw and poking it into her drink. This was so embarrassing, she could feel her cheeks going red and soon her face was going to be the color of a tomato. She could tell that Allura and the others were staring intently at her, waiting to see if she’d make a move. “That’s me.”

“Huh, well nice to meet you.” He smiled and waved, turning back to go back to his seat. “James.”

“Huh?”

“My name, it’s James. Can I get yours?”

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Ina, my name is Ina.” 

James grinned and waved, sitting back down. “See you around then, Ina.”

Ina groaned internally and made her way back out, sipping her drink as she walked back to her place. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texting Nadia.

[2:55] So, I saw that guy 

She responded within seconds. 

[2:55] OH MY GOD WHERE 

[2:56] At the coffee place, he was sitting in a booth  
[2:56] He wears glasses   
[2:56] He looks really good in them 

[2:57] on a scale of one to ten???

Ina considered this for a moment before texting back.

[2:57] Well, without them he’s a solid ten, but with them he’s a solid eleven   
[2:58] Nadia what do I do

[2:58] uhh   
[2:58] ask him out, duh   
[2:58] I thought that was kinda obvious 

Ina sighed softly and slipped her phone into her pocket again as she got to her apartment, digging her keys out of her bag and unlocking the door, where she was greeted by her fluffy Maine Coon cat, Lyla. She slipped her shoes off and padded over to the couch where Lyla followed, and sat down. She had nearly convinced herself that seeing him, James, twice in one day was merely a coincidence, she’d never seen him on that trail or that coffee place, both of which she frequented often. It must’ve been a fluke, and that’s what she told Nadia. 

[3:10] I don’t think so Nadia, I mean what’s the chance I’ll see him again?

Turns out, the chances were very high, but we’re not there yet.


	2. more like ten thousand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ina sees James again, and Nadia is there to embarrass her this time around hehe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I’ve been swamped, but have a comedic chapter as a lil sorry!

It would be a week until she saw James again, and Ina is a little embarrassed to say that the way they meet again is less than ideal.

The rest of the week ended up being too windy to go running, so Ina decided to just take it easy and do her workouts indoors, even a bit of yoga. She was a little disappointed, because what if James was out there running the trail? She wouldn’t be able to see him, and she was mad at herself for even pining over some guy she’d literally met two days ago, which wasn’t like her at all. The last time she’d gotten a crush on a guy, it didn’t end very well, and from then on she kept to herself. She had Nadia, and the friends she saw every so often, and she had convinced herself she didn’t need a man to be happy, which for the record, she didn’t. 

But on the other hand, it wouldn’t be so terrible to have a companion, someone to spend time with and maybe go running with her and, well, just do stuff. She’d gotten used to being alone though, and it wasn’t something she was actively seeking. With James however..

Ina shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts. Today she was with Nadia, hanging out at the little coffee place they both frequented. They were sitting in a booth, Nadia was ranting about work and how her boss totally played favorites with the employees and how she was definitely going to quit (she always said it, she never goes through with it). Ina, having heard these tirades before, simply nodded and followed along, sipping her drink. 

“—And then Veronica ended up getting the promotion over me, it’s not fair!” She whined, beating her fists on the table. 

Ina smiled and shook her head at her friend’s antics. “I thought you had a crush on Veronica.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t fight her for that assistant manager’s job.” She shrugged and took a sip of her coffee, taking a look at the door as someone entered. Nadia gasped and grabbed Ina’s shoulders, shaking her back and forth. “Oh my god Ina hot guy, nine o’clock!”

Ina looked towards the door, doing a double take. It was James, as in the James she’d seen on the trail and at this very place two days ago. Her face began to heat up and she tried to hide her face so he wouldn’t see her. Unfortunately, he passed by their booth and he stopped when he saw her. “Ina?”

“O-Oh, hi, James right?” Oh please, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, why was she pretending not to remember? Meanwhile, Nadia was looking at her, eyes wide. 

“Yeah, hey you haven’t been running on the trail have you?” He asked, flashing her a smile. Oh Christ, of course his smile was pretty too.

She quickly shook her head. “No, too windy.”

James nodded, “Yeah, it just throws me off. A breeze is nice, but if it’s really windy then I’d rather just run on the treadmill.”

Ina merely nodded, though she couldn’t relate. She thought treadmills were too noisy, same for gyms in general, she just preferred to be alone. “Yeah.”

“So, when do you usually go out running? On a nice day, that is.”

“Early, around eight usually.”

He smiled and put his hands in his pockets. “Okay, well.. I’ll see you around, hopefully. Bye Ina.” He nodded in her direction and walked off to stand in line. Ina sighed softly and turned her head to look back at Nadia, who’s jaw was wide open. “What?”

“You KNOW him??? Wait, he’s the hot guy you met on your run?” She shook her back and forth. “Ina!!”

“What??” 

“You said he was a solid ten, he’s like a ten thousand!”

Ina slapped her hand over her mouth, pulling her hand away when Nadia licked it. “Hush! And I mean, yes, he is—“

“Ina look at his ass—“

“I thought you were a lesbian??”

Nadia grinned and laced her hands together. “I can look at the menu Ina, I just can’t order from it.” 

Ina groaned softly and covered her face with her hands, feeling it heat up. At least this day couldn’t get any worse. 

“Hey uh.. Ina?”

“What??” She was exasperated now. 

Nadia giggled and covered her face, jabbing her thumb in James’s direction. “I think he might’ve heard us.”

Never mind, it just got worse. 

Reluctantly, she looked up and saw James looking in their direction. He was smiling at her, and she swore he winked at her. She could be wrong, but oh boy was she embarrassed. She groaned and laid her head on the table, listening as Nadia cackled at her. “I hate this.”

“This has been the best day ever! Oh my god, Ina, hot guy just winked at you.”

“I’m aware.” She sighed and sat up, grabbing her drink. “Let’s go..”

Nadia giggled and grabbed her cup, walking after her. “Maybe you’ll see him again Leif, it’s always possible.”

Ina shrugged and played with her straw. She didn’t believe in coincidence, or fate for that matter, this was just chance, and there was probably no chance that she’d see James again after today. “I doubt it.”

“Oh come ON girl, he asked when you usually go running! It implies that maybe he wants to meet up with you sometime.”

Wait, that’s what he was asking? Ina thought that maybe he was just being friendly and making conversation, but was that the underlying meaning? God, all this relationship stuff was too complicated, it’s why she didn’t get involved with them. “I mean, I guess.. I never thought about it.”

“Which is why you should start! I really think this guy is into you.” She grinned. 

Ina blushed and looked down at the ground, considering this. Maybe he was, and she’d never say so, but she got her hopes up, just a little.


	3. kitty cats and dogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not only is James athletic, but he’s an animal person too? Can he get anymore perfect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow I suck, I’m sorry this has taken so long! Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter!

Turns out, the next time she saw James, it wasn’t on the trail or at the coffee place, it was at the pet store. 

Ina needed more cat food for Lyla, and when she was done, she may have gotten a few toys for her as well. She couldn’t help spoiling her, Lyla was her baby. 

As if she couldn’t get even more distracted, she saw the cats on display for adoption that you could play with, and she supposed a few minutes couldn’t hurt. She set her bags down and started cooing at them, giggling as she watched them run back and forth. Cats were the best, and whoever didn’t like them wouldn’t survive the winter. 

“Ina?” 

She whipped around and saw James standing there behind her. Of course it would be, who else? He had a few bags in hand as well, while a big golden retriever on a leash was in the other. The pup was pulling on its lead, trying to get a closer look at the cats. “Oh, hi James.”

James smiled and walked up to her, his dog taking more interest in her and sniffing her jeans. “Hey, cmon buddy leave her alone. Sorry, he’s excited, he loves people.”

Ina smiled and kneeled down, petting him and scratching his head. She liked dogs too, cats were just easier to have, especially in regards of her not being home all day at work. Cats sort of just took care of themselves. “It’s okay, he’s really cute- Ah!” She giggled as she got a big, slobbery kiss from the pup, laughing as she wiped her cheek. “Very friendly too isn’t he? What’s his name?”

“Mhm, and his name is Chance, he acts like a giant puppy even though he’s nine, almost ten.” He chuckled. “So, you have one? A dog, that is.”

She stood back up, brushing her pants off as she shook her head. “Nah, I have a cat, Lyla.” She smiled. “I’d love to have one, though. Maybe one day.”

“What kind of dog would you want?”

“A husky, or a border collie. They’re both such pretty breeds.” She smiled shyly. “Or a lab of some kind.

James beamed at her, his cheeks slightly flushed. “Yeah, well.. Maybe I can bring Chance on a run with me sometime, and we can all run together? If you’re cool with that?” 

Her cheeks got slightly redder, but she felt herself nodding. “That sounds really nice, sure.”

“Cool! Heh, so.. maybe tomorrow? At around eight?”

“Not a minute later.” 

He chuckled and nodded, setting his bags down and slipping his phone out of his pocket. “Here, um.. would it be too forward to ask for your number?”

She blushed and shook her head, fumbling to get her phone out as well. “Not at all, here.” 

After they exchanged numbers, they both said their goodbyes and made their way to their cars. She loaded her bags in and was about to drive off until her phone buzzed, indicating she got a text. She pulled it out, grinning as she read it over.

[4:30] maybe after our run we could go and get lunch?

Ina wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she audibly squealed as she replied, trying to sound casual. 

[4:31] sounds like a plan


End file.
